1. Field
The present disclosure relates to a porous carbon material and a method for manufacturing the same. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a carbon material having a high specific surface area and a method for manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Carbon materials have excellent chemical resistance, durability and thermal and electrical conductivity and also are favorable in terms of cost as compared to the other materials, and thus are used widely in various industrial fields. Particularly, carbon materials, such as graphene, carbon nanotubes and fullerene, having a nanostructure show specific physicochemical properties, and thus have been applied to various industrial fields, including energy materials, sensors, optical devices, electrodes, display materials, semiconductors, or the like. In the case of carbon nanotubes that are typical one-dimensional nanostructures, they may be obtained through a process using arc discharge, process using laser, process using carbon monoxide (CO) under high temperature and high pressure conditions, or a thermal chemical vapor deposition process. Such processes are carried out at high temperature or under vacuum-based or inert atmosphere, and thus require relatively high processing cost. In addition, when nanotubes are grown with a catalyst, densified uniform carbon nanotubes may be arranged. However, in this case, there are problems in that the structure of nanotubes may be affected by the catalyst, an additional carbon source is required, and the binding force between carbon nanotubes is limited.
As a method for controlling the surface structure of a carbon material, there has been disclosed a technology of forming nano-sized channels on graphene or graphite by using a catalyst. The technology allows nano-patterning of a carbon material through hydrogenation of carbon in graphite or graphene using a catalyst. In addition, the technology determines an etching direction depending on a carbon crystal structure and thus may not be controlled with ease. Further, the technology is carried out at high temperature under inert gas atmosphere, and thus is limited in its application.
Another method for etching a carbon material includes oxidizing carbon with a metal oxide or metal nitride catalyst to form holes on carbon nanotube walls at relatively low temperature under air and to improve the electrochemically active area. However, the method merely suggests increasing the surface area of carbon nanotubes and does not include any particular information about methods for pretreating a carbon material with a metal oxide catalyst, methods for preparing a metal oxide catalyst, and a degree of surface etching depending on condition of treating a carbon material. In addition, the method accomplishes an increase in active area merely by forming holes on the walls and does not disclose sufficiently about controlling an aligned structure or application to a complicated three-dimensional structure as disclosed herein.